Have you just arrived in Portugal? You’re probably starting to wonder…

…”Can you drink tap water in Portugal?”

The good news is – yes! You can drink the tap water in Portugal across all regions of the country.

The tap water in Portugal meets the necessary EU safety standards which means you can be confident to drink tap water anywhere in the country.

However, a lot of locals don’t drink it due to the poor taste and prefer to drink bottled water.

Matthew and I lived in Lisbon for a whole month and we drank the tap water in Portugal for the entire time without any issues.

Being in the EU, we assumed that it was safe to drink the tap water but we did ask friends around town and also did our own research before taking a sip!

The taste isn’t the best when compared to other European countries, but regardless of taste, it is generally safe to drink.

Here’s what you need to know about drinking tap water in Portugal.

Do The People In Portugal Drink Tap Water?

No, most locals do not drink the tap water in Portugal. Here’s the thing:

The taste of tap water in Portugal isn’t the best. This can also depend on which region you are drinking the water in, but generally, the taste isn’t great!

The Portuguese locals dislike the taste and therefore some have stopped drinking the tap water in Portugal altogether.

They typically prefer drinking bottled water because it tastes much cleaner and more pure.

Why, you ask?

This could be due to the water pipes being very old, the chlorination (and chlorine smell that some have reported) and increasingly high mineral content.

Can You Brush Your Teeth With Tap Water In Portugal?

Yes, it’s safe to brush your teeth with the tap water in Portugal.

You can rinse, gargle and spit out the water when brushing your teeth.

Again, drinking the tap water in Portugal is safe so you could even swallow the water without issues (but obviously not if you’ve got toothpaste in your mouth lol).

How Clean Is The Tap Water In Portugal?

The tap water in Portugal is clean…but how clean?!

The biggest requirement Portugal had to meet was the EU’s quality standards. You’ll be glad to know they have passed this and have met all EU water safety standards for decades now.

This means that they comply with international drinking water standards too. Matthew and I aren’t from the EU and we drank the tap water without any issues.

As well, tests have been conducted and as of 2022, 98.99% of Portugal’s water is safe to drink across the country.

However, the locals don’t enjoy drinking the tap water due to the bad taste. This could be due to the old pipes, high mineral content and chlorine smell.

While it’s safe to drink, some may prefer bottled water because they simply can’t stand the taste.

Should You Buy Bottled Water Instead?

That’s completely up to you!

It’s safe to drink the tap water in Portugal, however the locals do prefer buying bottled water due to the taste. It’s whatever you feel most comfortable with!

The taste of the water in Lisbon didn’t bother us enough to switch to buying bottles of water. We noticed a little bit of a harsh taste but nothing dramatic – at least for our tastebuds.

Want to buy bottled water? Here’s what it costs from the grocery store, Pingo Doce:

• 500ml Bottle: $0.17 USD
• 1.5 Liter Bottle: $0.28 USD

Buying bottled water is pretty affordable in Portugal so it makes sense that locals would choose to buy it over drinking water out of the tap.

You can also look to buy bigger gallons of water. However, we didn’t see any around our area, so it may be a little more difficult to source.

On top of that, we did not want to pay for bottles of water when the tap water in Portugal is safe to drink.

Can You Cook With Tap Water In Portugal?

Yes, Portugal has drinkable tap water, which means it’s also safe to cook with tap water.

We boiled our pasta using tap water and didn’t have any issues with it. If you don’t feel comfortable with using the tap water for cooking, you could try boiling it first (which supposedly helps purify the water).

Otherwise, buy a 1.5-liter bottle of water from convenience stores or grocery stores like Pingo Doce if you don’t want to cook with the tap water.

Are Ice Cubes In Drinks Safe?

Yes, ice cubes are generally safe in drinks wherever you are – at restaurants, cafes or bars.

When visiting Lisbon in the summer, it’s popular to mostly have iced drinks to cool yourself down. We drank iced coffees, juices and smoothies without any issues with the ice cubes in our drinks.

Making Coffee & Tea With Tap Water In Portugal

It’s completely safe to make coffee or tea with tap water in Portugal.

You can also pre-boil the tap water or you can buy bottled water (if you dislike the taste). You can choose – it’s safe water either way!

Play It Safe – Buy A Reusable Water Bottle or Filter

Don’t want to risk drinking the tap water in Portugal?

There are other solutions if you need to be extra careful with your consumption of water. You can buy water bottles with a built-in quality water filter.

These are the top filtered water bottles to buy:

• Brita Filtered Water Bottle ($): Leak-proof lid, improves taste with premium water filter
• LifeStraw ($$): Adventure travel bottle with quality water filter
• LARQ Bottle Filtered ($$$): Sleek design, high-quality water filter

If you get any of these filtered water bottle solutions, you can fill up your bottle through the taps in Portugal without worry.

Can You Drink The Tap Water In All Regions of Portugal?

Yes, the tap water is safe across all regions in Portugal. However, the taste of the tap water can vary based on where you are in the country.

For instance, the northernmost regions like Porto tend to have a more pleasant taste, while the southernmost regions (such as towns along the Algarve Coast), tend to have a harsher mineral taste.

A lot of people can begin to acquire a taste for the tap water in Portugal. If you can’t stand the taste, many people also resort to buying bottled water regularly.

Is The Tap Water Safe To Drink In Lisbon?

Yes, it’s safe to drink tap water in Lisbon. Apparently, the further south of the country that you go – the worse the water tastes.

Lisbon is located more in the south but the water still tastes better than towns in the Algarve Coast. This is where you may struggle with the taste of the tap water in Portugal.

We believe Portugal provides safe drinking water and the taste of the tap water in Lisbon was barely an issue for us.

Is The Tap Water Safe To Drink In Porto?

What about Porto? Is the water safe to drink up in the northern parts of Portugal?

Yes, it’s safe to drink tap water in Porto. In fact, they say the tap water in the northern region of Portugal tastes the best!

While you can be confident it’s safe to drink – you might even enjoy the taste of the tap water in this area.

Verdict: Can You Drink Tap Water In Portugal?

Yes, the average traveler absolutely can drink tap water in Portugal. Pordata states that, as of 2022, 98.9% of tap water in Portugal is safe to drink.

Tap water is readily accessible in most places across the country, although many Portuguese people prefer bottled water because the tap water doesn’t taste the best.

The taste may vary slightly based on the region you’re visiting but you can still confidently drink water out of the tap.

Matthew and I spent a month as Lisbon digital nomads, drinking the tap water the entire time and we didn’t mind the taste at all.

We preferred drinking the tap water in Portugal because it saved us money and we didn’t need to buy plastic bottles on a regular basis.

When it comes to drinking safe tap water in Portugal – ultimately it’s totally up to you and what you are comfortable with.

Tap Water In Portugal – Frequently Asked Questions